Word Parts
10%of exam
Body Structure
10%of exam
Cardio Resp
25%of exam
HeartBloodVesselsLungsOxygen
Body Systems
35%of exam
Applied Terms
20%of exam
DiagnosticsProceduresPharmOncologyChart Safety
Quick Facts
- Exam
- Program-specific
- Credential
- Foundation skill
- Pass
- School-defined
- Time
- Program-specific
- Scope
- Allied health
- Weights
- Local review mix
- Source
- NLM + NHA
- Safety
- Avoid unsafe abbreviations
Prefix Extremes
Hyper high | hypo low
Tachy fastBrady slowPoly manyOligo few
Hyper vs Hypo
Hyper-
- Above normal
- Excessive
- High
Hypo-
- Below normal
- Deficient
- Low
High vs low
Decode Picker
- Unknown term→Find suffix(Category)
- Suffix known→Find root(Body part)
- Root known→Check prefix(Modifier)
- Two roots→Link systems(Compound)
- Vowel appears→Ignore meaning(Pronunciation)
- Abbrev appears→Verify context(Safety)
Word Parts
- Prefix
- Starts meaning
- Root
- Core meaning
- Combining form
- Root + vowel
- Combining vowel
- Pronunciation bridge
- Suffix
- Ends category
- Plural
- Number form
Itis vs Osis
-itis
- Inflammation
- Often acute
- Arthritis
-osis
- Condition
- Often abnormal
- Cyanosis
Inflamed vs condition
Prefixes
- Hyper-
- Above/excessive
- Hypo-
- Below/deficient
- Tachy-
- Fast
- Brady-
- Slow
- Poly-
- Many/excessive
- Oligo-
- Few/scanty
- A-/an-
- Without
- Dys-
- Difficult/abnormal
Emia vs Uria
-emia
- Blood condition
- Glycemia
- Anemia
-uria
- Urine condition
- Glycosuria
- Hematuria
Blood vs urine
Position Prefixes
- Endo-
- Within
- Ecto-/exo-
- Outside
- Inter-
- Between
- Intra-
- Within
- Peri-
- Around
- Epi-
- Upon
- Sub-
- Under
- Supra-
- Above
Condition Suffixes
- -itis
- Inflammation
- -osis
- Abnormal condition
- -algia
- Pain
- -dynia
- Pain
- -emia
- Blood condition
- -uria
- Urine condition
- -megaly
- Enlargement
- -penia
- Deficiency
Directions
- Superior
- Above
- Inferior
- Below
- Anterior
- Front
- Posterior
- Back
- Medial
- Toward midline
- Lateral
- Away midline
- Proximal
- Near trunk
- Distal
- Far trunk
Planes Cavities
- Sagittal
- Left/right
- Frontal
- Front/back
- Transverse
- Top/bottom
- Dorsal cavity
- Cranial/spinal
- Thoracic
- Chest cavity
- Abdominopelvic
- Abdomen/pelvis
- RUQ
- Liver/gallbladder
- RLQ
- Appendix
Tachy vs Brady
Tachy-
- Fast
- Rapid rate
- Tachycardia
Brady-
- Slow
- Low rate
- Bradycardia
Fast vs slow
Cardio Blood
- Cardi/o
- Heart
- Angi/o
- Vessel
- Vas/o
- Vessel
- Phleb/o
- Vein
- Arteri/o
- Artery
- Hemat/o
- Blood
- Thromb/o
- Clot
- Lymph/o
- Lymph
Respiratory
- Pulmon/o
- Lung
- Pneum/o
- Air/lung
- Bronch/o
- Bronchus
- Pleur/o
- Pleura
- Thorac/o
- Chest
- Laryng/o
- Voice box
- Trache/o
- Windpipe
- -pnea
- Breathing
Sprain vs Strain
Sprain
- Ligament injury
- Bone to bone
- Joint support
Strain
- Muscle/tendon
- Muscle to bone
- Overstretch
Ligament vs muscle
System Picker
- Chest pain→Cardi/o(Heart)
- Short breath→Pneum/o(Lung)
- Joint pain→Arthr/o(MSK)
- Urine clue→Nephr/o(Kidney)
- Swallow clue→Phag/o(GI)
- Nerve pain→Neur/o(Neuro)
Digestive Urinary
- Gastr/o
- Stomach
- Enter/o
- Intestine
- Col/o
- Colon
- Hepat/o
- Liver
- Cholecyst/o
- Gallbladder
- Nephr/o
- Kidney
- Ren/o
- Kidney
- Cyst/o
- Bladder
MSK Neuro Sensory
- Oste/o
- Bone
- Arthr/o
- Joint
- My/o
- Muscle
- Chondr/o
- Cartilage
- Spondyl/o
- Vertebra
- Neur/o
- Nerve
- Cephal/o
- Head
- Ophthalm/o
- Eye
Endocrine Repro
- Aden/o
- Gland
- Thyr/o
- Thyroid
- Adren/o
- Adrenal gland
- Glyc/o
- Sugar
- Gynec/o
- Female
- Andr/o
- Male
- Hyster/o
- Uterus
- Oophor/o
- Ovary
Surgery Suffixes
Ectomy removes; otomy cuts; ostomy opens
Ectomy: exciseOtomy: incisionOstomy: openingPlasty: repair
Ectomy vs Otomy
-ectomy
- Removal
- Excise organ
- Appendectomy
-otomy
- Incision
- Cut into
- Tracheotomy
Remove vs cut
Procedure Picker
- Remove organ→-ectomy
- Cut into→-otomy
- Create opening→-ostomy
- Repair shape→-plasty
- View inside→-scopy
- Remove fluid→-centesis
Procedure Suffixes
- -ectomy
- Removal
- -otomy
- Incision
- -ostomy
- New opening
- -plasty
- Surgical repair
- -centesis
- Fluid puncture
- -scopy
- Visual exam
- -graphy
- Recording process
- -gram
- Record/image
SOAP
S says; O shows; A decides; P acts
S: subjectiveO: objectiveA: assessmentP: plan
Ostomy vs Otomy
-ostomy
- New opening
- Often permanent
- Colostomy
-otomy
- Incision
- Access cut
- Temporary opening
Opening vs incision
Diagnostics Docs
- CBC
- Blood count
- CMP
- Chemistry panel
- UA
- Urinalysis
- ECG/EKG
- Heart tracing
- CT
- X-ray slices
- MRI
- Magnet imaging
- SOAP
- Chart format
- NPO
- Nothing oral
Graph Triad
Graph writes; graphy process; gram record
Graph: toolGraphy: processGram: result
Gram vs Graphy
-gram
- Record
- Image/result
- Mammogram
-graphy
- Process
- Recording method
- Mammography
Result vs process
Pharm Oncology
- Analgesic
- Pain reliever
- Antipyretic
- Fever reducer
- Antiemetic
- Vomiting reducer
- Diuretic
- Urine increaser
- Contraindication
- Unsafe reason
- Benign
- Noncancerous
- Malignant
- Cancerous
- Metastasis
- Distant spread
Common Traps
Prefix direction
Inter = between ≠ Intra = within
Inflammation vs pain
-itis = inflammation ≠ -algia = pain
Kidney roots
Nephr/o = kidney ≠ Ren/o = kidney
Myel/o context
Spinal cord ≠ Bone marrow
Patient perspective
Right means patient ≠ Left means patient
Unsafe shorthand
Do not guess ≠ Clarify abbreviation
Benign vs malignant
Benign stays local ≠ Malignant invades/spreads
Subjective vs objective
Subjective = reported ≠ Objective = measured
Last Minute
- 1.Start with suffix
- 2.Root names body part
- 3.Combining vowel aids pronunciation
- 4.Hyper high; hypo low
- 5.Tachy fast; brady slow
- 6.-itis inflammation; -osis condition
- 7.-ectomy removal; -otomy incision
- 8.-gram record; -graphy process
- 9.Anterior front; posterior back
- 10.Medial midline; lateral away
- 11.SOAP separates chart evidence
- 12.Unsafe abbreviation: clarify first
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